METHOD OF DETERMINING AND PROVIDING MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS LOCATION INFORMATION

• US 20080146249A1
• Filed: 12/15/2006
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Agere Systems Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Agere Systems Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Landschaft, Assaf, Mauguee, Laurent
• Application Number:
  US11/611,366
• Publication Number:
  US 20080146249A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Introduced is a method of providing a user location information with a mobile communications device. In one embodiment, the method includes (1) determining a cell location within a communications network that is in communication with the user'"'"'s mobile communications device; (2) utilizing the cell location to determine a geographic location of the user'"'"'s mobile communications device; and providing the geographic location to the user via the user'"'"'s mobile communications device.

Claims

1. A method of providing location information to a user of a mobile communications device, comprising:

determining a cell location within a communications network that is in communication with said user'"'"'s mobile communications device;

utilizing said cell location to determine a geographic location of said user'"'"'s mobile communications device; and

providing said geographic location to said user via said user'"'"'s mobile communications device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said communications network is operated in accordance with a standard selected from the group consisting of GSM standards and UMTS standards.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said communications network is a CDMA network.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said location information is provided as a geographical location.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein a base station identifier is used to determine said at least one cell location.

6. The method as recited in claim 5 further comprising determining said base station identifier from a look-up table of base station identifiers in a database of network related connection information.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein a cell identifier is used to determine said at least one cell location.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 further comprising determining said cell identifier from a look-up table of cell identifiers in a database of network related connection information.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said location information is provided by a visual indicator.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said location information is provided acoustically.

11. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said location information is related to time.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said location information is stored.

13. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising tracking said location information.

14. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said location information is automatically provided.

15. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said location information is provided at a user'"'"'s request.

16. A mobile communications device, comprising:

a detection device for detecting and determining a geographic location of a cell location within a communications network that is in communication with a mobile communications device; and

a location indicator for providing a user of said communications device said geographic location via said mobile communications device.

17. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 16 wherein a base station identifier is used to determine said cell location.

18. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 16 wherein a cell identifier is used to determine said cell location.

19. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 16 wherein said location information is provided by a visual indicator.

20. The mobile communications device recited in claim 16 wherein said location information is provided acoustically.

21. A digital storage medium, comprising:

electronically readable control instructions for controlling a mobile communications device, said control instructions causing said mobile communications device to;

detect and determine a geographic location of a cell location in a communications network that is in communication with said mobile communications device; and

provide said geographic location to a user of said mobile communications device based on said cell location.